PGY1 vs PGY2

[kvnjcb]

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Can someone please explain why there are PGY1 Radiology positions and PGY2 positions?

How exactly does one apply to match to radiology? Are there different routes?

Sorry if this a stupid question, I'm still new to this.


An unrelated question: There were 8 PGY1 and 30+ PGY2 positions unfilled this year. How come? I thought Rads was super competitive (maybe it's changing). Would someone be able to scramble into those and is it easy to do?

 

[cowme]

Can someone please explain why there are PGY1 Radiology positions and PGY2 positions?

How exactly does one apply to match to radiology? Are there different routes?

Sorry if this a stupid question, I'm still new to this.


An unrelated question: There were 8 PGY1 and 30+ PGY2 positions unfilled this year. How come? I thought Rads was super competitive (maybe it's changing). Would someone be able to scramble into those and is it easy to do?

Some radiology residencies have an intern year you do at the same hospital you will ultimately be doing residency at. These are pgy1 positions. Most residencies, however, you apply on your own to intern years, and then join the program as a pgy2.


Radiology is still quite competitive, but not as much as 5 years ago. Salaries have gone down a good deal, and the lifestyle is much worse. In addition, the total amount of residency positions in the country have increased.

Still, this year there were way more unmatched applicants than unfilled positions. This probably points more to applicants doing a bad job of applying broadly or programs doing a bad job of giving out enough interviews.

 

[colbgw02]

Radiology is still quite competitive, but not as much as 5 years ago. Salaries have gone down a good deal, and the lifestyle is much worse. In addition, the total amount of residency positions in the country have increased.

I wish I knew where this stuff about salaries is coming from. It's like all if the myths about outsourcing or radiologists becoming obsolete that are only perpetuated by medical students that don't know anything about radiology.

Below is a link to RSNA data showing that 2009 salaries essentially held steady. This data wasn't published until late 2010, so I assume we have awhile to wait for the 2010 information.

Reimbursement has gone down, but so far that hasn't translated to salary. I feel like so many are down on radiology just because we're not seeing the double-digit percentage growth that we had in the recent past.

http://www.rsna.org/Publications/rsnanews/November-2010/salaries_feature.cfm

 

[cowme]

I wish I knew where this stuff about salaries is coming from. It's like all if the myths about outsourcing or radiologists becoming obsolete that are only perpetuated by medical students that don't know anything about radiology.

Below is a link to RSNA data showing that 2009 salaries essentially held steady. This data wasn't published until late 2010, so I assume we have awhile to wait for the 2010 information.

Reimbursement has gone down, but so far that hasn't translated to salary. I feel like so many are down on radiology just because we're not seeing the double-digit percentage growth that we had in the recent past.

http://www.rsna.org/Publications/rsnanews/November-2010/salaries_feature.cfm

Sorry, I meant to say reimbursements have decreased a good deal (rather than salaries). My main point was that the field is hardly as cushy it used to be because of the increased volume required to keep those salaries. I'm just saying it is one of the number of reasons that there were unfilled spots this year.

 

[kvnjcb]

Some radiology residencies have an intern year you do at the same hospital you will ultimately be doing residency at. These are pgy1 positions. Most residencies, however, you apply on your own to intern years, and then join the program as a pgy2.


Radiology is still quite competitive, but not as much as 5 years ago. Salaries have gone down a good deal, and the lifestyle is much worse. In addition, the total amount of residency positions in the country have increased.

Still, this year there were way more unmatched applicants than unfilled positions. This probably points more to applicants doing a bad job of applying broadly or programs doing a bad job of giving out enough interviews.

Thanks for the reply. So how do I apply for the PGY2? Is it through a medicine prelim year or a transition year? And do I have to match into both one of these AND the PGY2 position? Is it common for someone to match into one and not the other?

 

[cowme]

Thanks for the reply. So how do I apply for the PGY2? Is it through a medicine prelim year or a transition year? And do I have to match into both one of these AND the PGY2 position? Is it common for someone to match into one and not the other?

Most programs are pgy2 positions, so you will need to apply independently to prelim medicine/prelim surgery/TRansition year (any of the three would count as a pgy1 year). For instance, you will go on 10+ pgy2 radiology interviews, and 5+ transitional year/preliminary interviews during interview season. You must match to both, or you may lose your pgy2 radiology spot (but prelim med are usually much easier to match in)

 

[D0cHopeful]

So say you don't match radiology but match into a Transitional/Prelim program somewhere, can you apply for a PGY2 position and start your radiology residency or must you apply for a PGY1 position again?

 

[maxxor]

So say you don't match radiology but match into a Transitional/Prelim program somewhere, can you apply for a PGY2 position and start your radiology residency or must you apply for a PGY1 position again?

You can try to apply for a PGY2 but there will be a year gap, because programs match 20 months in advance of start date. Most people look for unadvertised openings through word of mouth.

 

[yohimbine1]

Thanks for the reply. So how do I apply for the PGY2? Is it through a medicine prelim year or a transition year? And do I have to match into both one of these AND the PGY2 position? Is it common for someone to match into one and not the other?

You can scramble into PGY1 spots if you match into a PGY2 radiology spot but not a PGY1 spot. Unlikely you will scramble into a transitional spot but you can easily find medicine or surgery spots.

Get a transitional year if you can, they're easier and more educational.

 

[yohimbine1]

So say you don't match radiology but match into a Transitional/Prelim program somewhere, can you apply for a PGY2 position and start your radiology residency or must you apply for a PGY1 position again?

This is not that uncommon, to match into a prelim year but not Radiology. In that case you can either try to scramble for a Radiology spot (SOAP I think they now call it) or apply again during your prelim year.

Radiology isn't as competitive as it used to be, most people (US Allo grads anyway) should either be able to match or scramble into spots if they want to.

 

[Twiggidy]

and the lifestyle is much worse....../QUOTE]

Can someone explain this one.....?